Bio

Frank Martinez Garcia was born on October 21, 1972, in Bexar County, Texas. He dropped out of high school during the 12th grade at age 22 and worked over the years as a truck driver, auto mechanic, auto body painter, and laborer. He had previously identified himself as a member of a San Antonio street gang that police believed was involved in drive-by shootings, drug dealing, and aggravated assaults. In 2000, the year before the murders, he had threatened to kill a neighbor.

Garcia married Jessica, and the couple had two children, ages 5 and 2 at the time of the murders. They lived together with Garcia's parents in San Antonio. Jessica had a documented history of experiencing domestic abuse in the relationship, she had sought help from a battered women's shelter in 1994, and coworkers had observed bruises and marks on her over the years.

Murder Story

On the morning of March 29, 2001, Jessica Garcia’s relatives came to the Garcia home in San Antonio to help her leave with the children. Garcia’s mother called him at work after realizing that Jessica was trying to leave. Garcia returned home, and witnesses later said he grabbed Jessica in a headlock and dragged her inside.

Police were called to the home twice that morning. Officer Hector Garza responded to the domestic disturbance. Police memorial sources state that the first call came around 7:45 a.m. so officers could stand by while Jessica removed belongings. Officers were later called back around 8:55 a.m. because of another disturbance involving Garcia and Jessica.

When Officer Garza entered the bedroom and tried to separate the couple, Garcia suddenly turned and shot him with a Mac-10-style semiautomatic weapon. Garcia then shot Jessica. Their five-year-old daughter witnessed both murders.

After shooting Jessica and Officer Garza, Garcia went outside and fired at relatives who had come to help Jessica. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals stated that he shot and wounded one adult bystander and shot at two others but missed. TDCJ’s summary states that the wounded bystander was Jessica’s uncle.

Garcia then returned inside, retrieved another gun, and fired again at the downed officer. The Court of Criminal Appeals described the trial evidence as showing that Garcia murdered Jessica by shooting her in the head at close range and murdered Officer Garza by shooting him multiple times at close range, including shots to the head.

Reuters later reported that Garcia told police he aimed for Officer Garza’s head because he knew police officers wore bullet-resistant vests. Reuters also reported that Garcia fired outside the house, damaged a nearby elementary school, and gave a formal statement admitting he intentionally killed Jessica Garcia and Officer Garza.

Garcia was charged with capital murder for killing a police officer. In February 2002, a jury found him guilty of capital murder, and the trial court set his punishment at death after the jury answered the Texas death-penalty special issues. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed the conviction and sentence on direct appeal in 2004.

Garcia continued filing appeals, including a final claim that his execution would violate Atkins v. Virginia, which bars the execution of intellectually disabled offenders. On October 27, 2011, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals dismissed his subsequent habeas application and denied a stay of execution.

Frank Martinez Garcia was executed by lethal injection in Huntsville, Texas, on October 27, 2011. Reuters reported that he was pronounced dead after praying aloud in his final moments. His official TDCJ last-statement page records a long religious final statement ending with thanks to the warden.